Hope.
“I know. And believe it or not, I think you helped.” I slumped against the sofa and felt the ache still throbbing in my chest. “But if you don’t mind, I’m not done with the whole broken-heart bit yet.”
“Finally,” I snapped as Chloe picked up her phone. “I have tried calling you all day.”
“I know,” Chloe huffed down the line. “Jeez. I was at work. Give me a moment, will you?”
“Aidan was in love with me and you didn’t tell me.”
There was silence.
“Chloe?”
“How did you find out?” she asked incredulously.
“He told me!” It took everything within me not to throw my phone at my kitchen wall. “Why didn’t you?”
“Because he asked me not to.”
“You should have told me.”
“And what would the point have been in that? You didn’t feel that way about him.”
“No, I didn’t, but… Chloe, I slept with him years ago.”
“I know,” she said softly. “I was there to pick up the pieces.”
“Oh God.” I sank onto a stool. “It’s awful of me, but I wish he hadn’t told me. I don’t think my emotions can handle it today.”
“Why did he tell you?”
I sighed, letting the ache fill me up as I started to blubber down the phone to her about Logan.
“Oh, sweetheart.” Chloe sighed. “I’m so sorry. And as for Aidan, he was just trying to help. I mean, look at him. Seven years ago he was a mess over you, and now he’s mad about Juno.”
“True.” I sniffled. “It does make me hopeful.”
“I get exactly where he was coming from telling you. However, I’m going to come at it from a different point of view, so don’t kill me.”
“All right,” I said in trepidation.
“Back then you had no clue Aidan was in love with you because your low self-esteem and insecurities make you absolutely oblivious when it comes to the opposite sex.”
“Thank you for that dismal analysis.”
“You’re welcome. Anyhoo, what I’m saying is… if you didn’t know how Aidan really felt about you, who is to say you know how Logan feels about you? You’re clueless.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying I wouldn’t give up all hope on Logan yet. A man doesn’t have sex with you against a kitchen wall because you happen to be the nearest woman in the vicinity. Well… not a man who looks like him anyway.”
“He has admitted to being attracted to me, but attraction and love are two very different things.”
“You’re right. But when they come together, they can be explosive… say… like hot, possessive sex against a kitchen wall.”
I dropped my head, banging my forehead against my kitchen counter.
“What are you doing?”